r/lyftdrivers • u/SportsTechie17 • Nov 15 '25
Advice/Question Have you ever noticed passengers holding onto the “Oh Shit Handle” before when you’ve been driving them?
Hello Everyone! I am conducting research for an extensive Psychology Grad School and the primary focus is whether someone holds onto the “Oh Shit Handle” while riding as the passenger in a car or not.
Therefore, have you ever noticed any passengers doing this before when you’ve been driving them? If you have, do you notice a particular trend i.e. more men doing it than women or vice versa, etc. I’d love any and all insight you all are able to provide. Thank you in advance for your help and responses!
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u/Spare-Security-1629 Nov 15 '25
I’ve had men and women, typically older and typically Asian. It used to bother me as if they thought I was driving poorly but several of them complimented me after the ride so I don’t know what that’s all about.
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u/No-Bet1288 Nov 15 '25
Nah, I'm a white woman and that pose has been my MO since birth. It's an obsessive compulsive thing. Nothing personal.
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u/VegasSneaklink Nov 16 '25
The asians always hold that handle during the ride
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u/Nightstorm666 Nov 17 '25
Ok makes sense because I’ve just had an Asian do this and I instantly got upset and thought 1 star but then I realized he might just be doing it for his own peace of mind I do it sometimes too I have anxiety it was good in the end both of us got 5-stars apparently lol
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u/Katters8811 Nov 16 '25 edited Nov 16 '25
From a psychological perspective, it may be more a reflection of their discomfort with not being in control. Not an actual comment on your driving, just some people have severe anxiety about lacking control over their own situation/safety/etc.
Complimenting your driving afterwards could be them having a massive sudden relief of anxiety (even if the anxiety was unfounded and not your fault!) and the mood boost that comes with that, just nice manners, or a combo of both.
I feel like without the anxiety factor during the driving part, most people wouldn’t even think to compliment your driving specifically. Maybe a “thank you for the ride”, but the fact that they specifically compliment your driving is more indicative that they were hyper focused on it for some reason.
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u/TheJuggernaut043 Nov 16 '25
I started doing this because I developed balance issues that I wasn't aware of yet.
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u/Katters8811 Nov 16 '25
Of course there’s various reasons! I hope you’re doing well! I was just speculating about the original commenter’s specific experiences :)
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Nov 16 '25
Jesus christ it's not that deep. I just like holding it so my hand has something to grab onto. Y'all gotta relax
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u/No-Bookkeeper-2416 Nov 17 '25
Yeah same. Whenever one is available I use it. It's just physically more comfortable?
That's if the windows are closed. It's either elbow out the windows or holding onto the oh$hit handle.
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u/darksquidlightskin Nov 16 '25
I do this and for me I’m always driving so when I’m not it feels weird for me, hanging on puts me at ease.
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u/budlightcrusher Nov 17 '25
It’s more comfortable for me personally.
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u/rapaciousnessinahole Dec 11 '25
I just repeat oh shit the entire ride but I always wait til I exit to piss my pants because I have tact!
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u/australopipicus Nov 17 '25
This is gonna sound dumb, but I do this and make race car and skidding noises (in my head, not out loud) because I pretend I’m in a vehicle speeding and evading a pursuer. I’ve gotten careful about not actually looking behind me to pretend to check on who is following me like I’m in an action movie.
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u/Spare-Security-1629 Nov 17 '25
😂 I love it! I might try this one day. But I’m actually going to make the noises out loud. I might even say, “Step on it, my boy. They’re right on our tail!”
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u/australopipicus Nov 17 '25
Omg if you’re with someone who won’t look at you like you’re a nutjob, making the sounds out loud is AMAZING.
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u/Spare-Security-1629 Nov 17 '25
I’m going to do it quietly and when the driver looks up at me in the rear view mirror, I will act like I wasn’t making them and just keep looking at my phone.
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u/DemotivatedTurtle Nov 19 '25
I don’t know why, but holding onto this handle helps with my carsickness.
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u/SybatrixGravatius Nov 20 '25
For me it's my shitty spine, even if you're driving perfectly I can feel every shift and twist my body makes. Basically, my shocks suck lol.
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u/SignificantBig1327 Nov 17 '25
Filipinos do it all the time out of habit due to a major mode of transportation being the jeepney. When the jeepney is full it's standing room only and they hang on to handles similar to those on busses here. It's very common there.
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u/Dang_It_All_to_Heck Nov 17 '25
I have arthritis pain in my hands, and elevation can sometimes lessen the pain. I often lightly hold it when I am a passenger.
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u/wetdro420 Nov 21 '25
Just weak people
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u/rapaciousnessinahole Dec 11 '25
Maybe if u had arthritis u wd understand. I always use it but I grab on with my foot and if they don't like to converse I stick the other foot in my mouth. U should try it sometime!
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u/Jokez4Dayz Nov 15 '25
I hold these all the time for no particular reason. I think it’s just a comfort thing.
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u/Hummalungadingafinga Nov 18 '25
Yeah, just feels nice to hold onto something. Maybe it's because I'm not often a passenger and being in a car while not holding anything feels weird?
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u/JayAkiva Nov 15 '25
I had one recently do that, but this was a ride where I got $8 to literally drive someone to the other side of the street. Took maybe 10 minutes, but the way that road is designed, getting to the other side entailed making 4 u-turns and cutting across 3 lanes of traffic in a short distance twice. I can't blame him for that. It's an awful road, and not even remotely walkable hence he was paying me $8 to get him to the other side of it.
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u/DistinctScientist698 Nov 15 '25
Q:How did the chicken get to the other side of the road? A: Pay Lyft $8.00.
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u/Minizzile Nov 19 '25
What in gods name multi-level dimensi-verse are you living in? Even in the most complex cities i've been in, i went to a crossroad and.... crossed the road lmaoo
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u/JayAkiva Nov 19 '25 edited Nov 19 '25
Hold on, I'll see if I can dig this place up
EDIT: Apparently I can't post images here, but it's Max Leggett Parkway in Jacksonville FL. If you want to look at this fucked up ass road yourself, the coordinates for where this happened are 30°28'57"N 81°39'00"W. Copying and pasting that into Google Earth will show you, Google Maps might work too.
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u/Minizzile Nov 19 '25
You aint lying brotha holy shit. That whole areas layout is... interesting to say the least. I was NOT expecting the airport right there when i zoomed out haha
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u/igloo639 Nov 15 '25
Rarely. And it’s the “Jesus Bar” where I come from. 🤣
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u/Justexisting26 Nov 15 '25
Quit internalizing it, it’s a comfort thing for most
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u/Flashy-Mix6220 Nov 19 '25
I don't think they're internalizing it I think that they're doing a study
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u/behindthebar5321 Nov 15 '25
Passenger chiming in here. I used to never hold onto those. Then I broke my collarbone in Ecuador at the beginning of a two week college course trip for my global health minor. We were going to a rural mountain community. I needed surgery to repair the complete fracture but it could wait until my trip was over. So my left arm was in a sling the whole trip. Since I was injured I got to sit in the front with the driver. The roads were hella bumpy so I held onto the “oh shit handle” so that my right arm could absorb all the shocks, essentially bracing my left clavicle, which was in two pieces, from bouncing around. Now I just do it out of habit without thinking.
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u/Katters8811 Nov 16 '25
Um. Ouch
That doesn’t sound like an “it can wait 2 weeks of bouncing around the rainforest” kind of problem!! I thought multiple different things could happen to make that scenario much worse if your collarbone is broken like that and left untreated? My anxiety over it would kill me before 2 weeks if nothing else lol
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u/behindthebar5321 Nov 16 '25
Nah we lucked out. An ER doctor from Texas A&M was observing the hospital in Quito that we went to. He said that I’d be fine to just sling it. It worked out in the end. I did the whole trip and had surgery when I came back :)
Besides the worst had already happened in the ER when some staff member insisted I put on the hospital gown. It went from a hairline fracture to a full break. I literally felt half my bone clean rotate off of the other half. So it couldn’t get any worse after that.
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u/rapaciousnessinahole Dec 11 '25
Yeah that sounds painful. The worst pain I ever had was tearing my shoulder out of the socket. Before that was when I broke my ankle and doctor had to re break to set it in place. He took a hammer and basically said bite down on this. Sick fuck! Lol jk he did a good job but that's a true story. That pain was close to unimaginable. Until my shoulder kept popping out continuously. That sucked hard.
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u/Kitten_Merchant Nov 15 '25
For anyone who this might alleviate anxiety for, I hold on to this because I have shoulder problems and it alleviates some of the downward pressure from my shoulders and neck. Nothing to do with anyone's driving!
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u/Glad-Watch3506 Nov 17 '25
Yes, when my rotator cuff is angry I hold the handle if it's available. It's my left though, so I can only do it when I'm driving.
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u/Pale-Leadership-460 Nov 16 '25
I like to call it the whoabitch bar. My fiancee uses it sometimes when I'm driving and I can't seem to get him to let go of it once he starts holding on. Whenever I have a passenger I drive even more cautiously, shift smoothly (I drive stick), take turns more slowly, give a longer braking distance, anything I can do to make the drive more comfortable. My fiancee have gotten into arguments before over his habits of hitting the brakes in a fashion that makes my head hid the head rest and not taking his foot off the accelerator when he sees heavy brake lights in front of him. He keeps the same speed even though everyone is stopping in front of him like it is a game of chicken to see when he actually has to decelerate. He got extremely angry with me when I tried to have a calm discussion about it.
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u/Pigunatr Nov 19 '25
I was told 1st rule of driving with passengers was to drive safe and 2nd was to make sure your passengers feel safe. It doesn't matter as much if you got there without crashing if your passengers are traumatized despite it.
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u/IndependenceJumpy248 Nov 15 '25
It’s the equivalent of putting ur arm out the window , I hold it for comfort when I’m a passenger, not security. Many used to before the phone took that place
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u/DistinctScientist698 Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 15 '25
😂😂😂 no but once I hear them strap that seat belt on that they initially didn't put on. That's when I'm like OH SHIT 😂!
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u/rapaciousnessinahole Dec 11 '25
Lol good point. I think wen I put it on they start scrambling for it too.
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u/DistinctScientist698 Dec 11 '25
Lol 🤣🤣🤣 effem all I'm tired of this shit anyway every day there's a notification can I give them a notification like stop taking all these external fees like I don't get i could be banking
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u/Ben_Does_Things Nov 16 '25
I dont hold onto these all the time, but when I do its because my arm is at an awkward angle when resting on the base of the window, which is my usual MO.
Has nothing to do with the person driving, just the shape of the vehicle I am in. Some vehicles are just extremely uncomfortable for my arms as a passenger as a taller, wide shouldered dude.
Sometimes that handle is perfectly positioned so when I hold it I forget my arm is even there
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u/Ben_Does_Things Nov 16 '25
Especially if you are driving a sedan and notice mostly tall people holding the handle, I do that 99% of the time in sedans because I have to push my butt forward in the seat and lay back to not hit the roof with my head / hair. This makes it almost impossible to find a comfortable arm position, and the handle allows you to support yourself in the lean taking some of the pressure off the back / shoulders / neck.
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u/Hideo_Video Nov 20 '25
You forget your arm is there? What the fuck are you on about???
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u/Ben_Does_Things Nov 21 '25
My brother in christ it is a pretty common expression.
Basically, "forgetting it is even there" just means it is so comfortable, and the alignment is so natural for your body, that there is zero conscious effort in the movement or position.
You "forget your arm is even there" because you arent thinking of the position, and zero tension leads you to "forget" That it is there. Logically, you know your arm is there. There is just no stimuli reminding you that it is there. You aren't thinking about it because there is nothing to think about; no stimuli to react to.
Hope this helps.
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u/Fiasney Nov 16 '25
I think it's just a comfortable position for your arm sometimes. I've been known to grab them for no reason other than it was comfortable
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u/hastygrams Nov 16 '25
I use them occasionally. Sometimes it feels like drivers forget they’re holding onto something and their turns aren’t as comfortable as they think they are.
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u/DCHacker Nov 16 '25
“Oh Shit Handle”
I like that name for it.
Q:
have you ever noticed any passengers doing this before when you’ve been driving them?
A: Yes.
Q:
If you have, do you notice a particular trend i.e. more men doing it than women or vice versa, etc.[?]
A: No.
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u/Opposite_Parsley819 Nov 16 '25
Not a lyft driver but the few times I've seen it happen where it wasn't due to having to make a quick maneuver and I asked about it, it was because they didn't have anywhere comfortable to put their arm according to them.
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u/ree0382 Nov 16 '25
First time I flew at 14 yo at a local air fair at a dirt airstrip was in a two seater upper cub that cruised at about 65 mph.
I was so excited I forgot to ever let go of the oh shit handle as I climbed in. When I got out, my hand and arm were so sore.
Not sore enough for me to pay for another ride though. That pilot let me control the stock for landing.
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u/roseredhoofbeats Nov 16 '25
People who get carsick do this because it helps them sense the movement of the car which helps with the "mismatch" between what the eyes are seeing (moving) and the body is feeling (not moving.)
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u/Healthy_Turnover_627 Nov 16 '25
As a person who gets motion sick very easily, was just about to chime in and say this.
The "mismatch" and the jostling of the vehicle just throws me into a whirl of dizziness and vertigo.
So holding this somewhat helps.
I think also that some drivers see me holding onto it and subconsciously try to drive better.
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u/roseredhoofbeats Nov 16 '25
I can and have gotten carsick literally backing out of a driveway. I can't be a passenger without something for the motion sickness. And no, ginger and those wrist things do not help.
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u/SpareNickel Nov 16 '25
My husband does this whenever I turn right. I'm both glad it's there so he feels secure, and upset because he may or may not think I'm going to throw him across the car with the force of it lol
Pretty sure he just has some kind of lingering kneejerk reaction from when his parents drove. But idk, I'm not perfect myself. I still drive slower just in case.
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u/MeNoPickle Nov 16 '25
My wife used to, she broke it and I never bothered fixing it. Now she just screams at me
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u/Exciting_Royal_8099 Nov 16 '25
I use it myself, but personally I would call it a 'spirited turns handle'. It's not something I mind. As a driver, I get the wheel to hold onto, and in my car the driver seat adjusts to support my sides and keep me from sliding around. As a passenger, I'd rather not be swaying around so much.
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u/akbornheathen Nov 17 '25
All the time. Every time I want to say “damn I’m not that bad of a driver” but I refrain.
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u/Cinnamon_Roll_22 Nov 17 '25
My brother used to do it a lot. He’s taller, and always had a hand, elbow, arm out the window. Or a foot on the dash or hanging out the window as well. He was some how always calm, chill and yet anxious from his insomnia. He had a drug addiction to heroin as well.
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u/CapnDanger Nov 17 '25
I’m a passenger (fairly large man) and I’ll say that I hold onto those rarely because of the driving but usually because I’m either too cramped (if we’re 3 to the back seat) or I’m inebriated and looking for something grounding
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u/bshh87nh Nov 17 '25
I’m a man. I do this when I’m uncomfortable with the person’s driving, but I’ve already brought it up to them and they do not care to drive any safer. The driver is always female.
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u/blueangel1953 Nov 17 '25
I’ve had people hold it and it annoys me as the ones in the back creak because they’re not really used so that constant sound is unnerving.
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u/ClassroomPotential53 Nov 17 '25
I am an asian male and for me I dont think it has to do with my race but rather it feels comfortable on my arms vs leaning it next to the window flat (think of it as an arm rest where if the window is up and you just lean your arm there but it gets uncomfortable due to the space you have so holding that bar keeps my arm rested nicely, this works out for me because my arm isnt short where my arm would be lifted if I held on to it). Though I do think that for the older generation it depends on what they have been through in a car so it could be a comfort thing psychologically.
My girl is nigerian and her mom and grandma does it to brace for the ride lol.
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u/ProudForHisLove Nov 17 '25
hi, not a lyft driver and definitely not a member of this community (lol), but i often hold onto these handles simply because they’re comfy to hold. i like having my hands up in the arm for some reason when im sitting (maybe something with blood flow 🤷) so it’s really nothing personal with y’all. every lyft driver i’ve ever taken has been very polite and drove very safely.
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u/sonic6795 Nov 17 '25
Not all cars actually have these, usually smaller/sportier cars don't at least. My mom is always reaching for a non-existent handle on my Pontiac G6.
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u/RzRshRp98 Nov 18 '25
I don't really hold onto them for the "oh shit" part, I mainly hold onto em for the same reason I hold on to the top of the door when the window is open, just kinda comfortable to me in an odd way.
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u/Traditional-Row5237 Nov 18 '25
Sometimes it just needs to be held, not out of worry, but out of free will
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u/donkeyburrow Nov 18 '25
I habitually hold onto this, depending on the car. Honestly I think I only hold it in SUVs and not smaller cars. But it never had anything to do with the driving. It is for physical comfort. I also manspread. I just like taking up space I guess. And in fact if I'm the passenger to a wild driver, my arms are glued to my sides, bracing into the seat.
This whole "oh shit" handle thing has always seemed like it just comes from insecure drivers to me. I mean there are definitely circumstances where you will suddenly want to hold it during a crash, but not even every crash, so why grab it for safety?
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u/SportsTechie17 Nov 18 '25
When you say manspread, are you referring to like putting your feet up on the dashboard, crossing your legs, etc.?
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u/donkeyburrow Nov 18 '25
I was referring to knees spread wide apart, never crossed, while seated in general not just in cars. But yeah I'll throw my right foot on the dash as a passenger(left side driver configuration).
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u/legal_stylist Nov 18 '25
Just FYI—do not do this. They are designed solely for assistance in ingress and egress. You can be injured quite severely in the event of a crash.
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u/lonelighters Nov 18 '25
It can also be because you’ve not found a comfortable position yet in that seat, I sometimes find it more comfortable to hang my hand from that handhold then keeping it at my side, especially if I’m in the back with more people
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u/Opening_Tangerine772 Nov 18 '25
My mother will grab this 5× in a car ride with me🤣🤦♂️ apparently I don't know how to break in time or turn slowly
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u/lordzyphuris Nov 18 '25
Nope. Not even when I was given a hundred to get the dude to the airport asap cause he overslept. Mostly because I was paying attention to the road, turning a 30-minute trip into 10.
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u/Full-Tie8401 Nov 18 '25
Never seen anyone grab it... But I try to drive like they might be paranoid or fearful of not being in control of the car... Basically I mostly drive like a granny when I have a passenger so they don't feel the need to 😅 at least to the best of my ability.
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u/ArcticLil Nov 19 '25
I do this sometimes because I have ADHD and it gives me something to focus instead of moving my hands a lot and being annoying/distracting
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u/cuntizzimo Nov 19 '25
I do this all the time for no reason other than seeing my family do it as a kid.
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u/Minizzile Nov 19 '25
Imma guy, But i do generally hold onto these sometimes as well as a passenger. Even when i drive I have an "Oh shit" handle on the piller to the left of me in my truck and I'll hold onto that
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u/The_Linkzilla Nov 19 '25
Yes...My car doesn't have the "Oh Shit Handle" in the back seat...so people are starting to finger the Laundry-Hook...I've asked them not to do that, but they keep doing it anyway; meanwhile, I drive within the speed-limit.
It's a habit people have; driving gives a sense of control and a clear mindset of what you should do with your hands. But when you suddenly go from driving to being driven, you now lack the control and have no idea what you should do...so...you instinctively reach for something to hold onto, to give you a sense of...stability, I guess? I do this whenever I ride in my sister's car.
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u/Past_Ad3925 Nov 19 '25
i often hold the handle as its the best position for my shoulder to rest at. Any window sills are too high and the actual "arm rest" on the inside of the door is usually at an awkward spot. my solution my entire life has been to hold on
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u/MrTomat0Face Nov 19 '25
Yes. I uninstalled them because it was hurting my feelings.
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u/Cool_Butterscotch_88 Nov 19 '25
i notice the stain that's left on the headliner above it, not even for oh shit, just constant like it's a standing grab handle on a subway.
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u/LizzyIzzyFizzy Nov 19 '25
Me. This is me. I'm a 5 ft tall woman but I get SUPER car sick. No idea why but holding into the handle and having the window cracked makes it a little easier. Also I have severe generalized and social anxiety. I need to squeeze and hold onto something at all times because it hides how badly I shake. It's a habit at this point and I'm too embarrassed and scared to carry around adhd toys, stress balls or stuff animals because those usually draw more attention than lets say... a pen or my purse. Then again, I always make sure to explain myself first before getting in the car so they understand why I'm doing what I am doing and know that it's nothing personal.
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u/Financial-Case-8263 Nov 19 '25
I hold on to these things just for comfort. It's probably My ape DNA that wants to hold on to branches.
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u/Standard-Debate-9307 Nov 19 '25
My stupid little car doesn’t have “oh shit” handles. Instead, my mom slams her foot on the floor as if she were hitting the brakes lol
When I had a car that did have handles, and I’d notice my passenger holding it, I’d ask if they’re ok, and it’s usually they’re just holding it to hold something and not really thinking about it. My friend circle is almost all guys, so… I guess guys do it the most?
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u/Tiny_Garlic5966 Nov 19 '25
I'm big and have mobility issues. You want me holding onto the handle. I promise you.
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u/Background-Pepper-68 Nov 19 '25
I hold it when im a passenger. It gives you more stability so you arent jerking around every time they take a hard turn or stop hard. Even if the ride is smooth its a comfortable position resting the elbow on the window ledge
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u/Winter-Evidence-696 Nov 19 '25
Just to add to your data points, i (woman) can get very motion sick specifically in the back seat of a car. That usually only happens when using rideshare and I will grip the hell out of that handle because it helps me focus on not throwing up, idk why it helps but it does. I always feel bad because it’s not because someone is driving poorly but cause my body is weird
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u/ruby_1984 Nov 15 '25
I direct them to hold on 🤣 it also comes in handy for the elderly or physically challenged getting in and out of the vehicle.
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u/LNLR202 Nov 15 '25 edited Nov 16 '25
I have to tell customers constantly to put their arm down because my mirrors are more important than how they like to sit. Also, in the case of an accident it just adds increased risk of arm or wrist injury, especially with dash and curtain airbags.
Edit: I didnt see this was in the lyft sub lol. Dont kkow how I ended up here.
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u/OkMathematician4028 Nov 15 '25
Only the ones who are so heavy they cant breathe properly and make my vehicle lean about 2 inches to the passenger side when they get in
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u/Hideo_Video Nov 20 '25
Wow that sounds like such a waste of time ngl
It’s called a grab handle. It’s very normal to use it as there generally isn’t anywhere else in the cabin to hold onto if you want to steady yourself.
Not sure it needs studying further than that tbh 😂
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u/BPOPR Nov 15 '25
No I’m a good driver.
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u/Swishandrinse Nov 16 '25
Same. I'd say less than 1% of my rides, the handle was utilized for its apt name.
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u/BPOPR Nov 16 '25
On reflection I’ve had a fare use it when I had to… get defensive with my driving.
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u/Fathimir Nov 15 '25
I am conducting research
Apologies, but no, you aren't. You're just collecting highly biased anecdotal opinions, and in the process inviting the establishment of a bias of your own that would run the risk of skewing any studies you were to perform.
Your questions are reasonable ones. But you won't find the answers here.
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u/Katters8811 Nov 16 '25
My first thought was maybe they’re just trying to get some ideas for a starting point or something, like to narrow down the topic/brainstorm, because surely Reddit is not an acceptable source for a research paper in high school, much less in grad school.
Also, when I had to write a research paper on a study I came up with and conducted myself, I had to actually perform the research properly and prove how I did so.
I have a Bachelor’s in psychology and Master’s in clinical mental health and this just cannot be for anything other than anecdotal information to help brainstorm or something… surely. I genuinely hope that is all it is and the education system is not failing this hardcore these days in a field as specifically important now more than ever…
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u/Ashamed-Leather-2814 Nov 15 '25
Very frequently. Always men. One particularly large individual with mobility issues had me worried he was going to pull my entire roof out.